Manila, March 10 -- The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday dismissed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's remarks that incidents in the South China Sea (SCS) are "staged under the direction of other countries."

China should recognize that the Philippines is an independent and sovereign state whose actions and decisions are driven entirely by national interest and the interests and well-being of the Filipino people, the DFA said in a statement.

China previously compared the SCS dispute with the Philippines to a "shadow play" and warned that "those acting as others' chess pieces are bound to be discarded."

Wang said there is a screenplay written by external forces for every move of the Philippines on the sea, adding that the sho...